ould like to understand it! I must learn it if I can find one to teach
me, I must, I must!"

When she went at evening to Mistress Kent she took the sheet with her.

"Yes, it is a page of a French newspaper," said the mistress, "and
although I can make out many of the words, I have not enough knowledge
of the strange tongue to think of teaching it."

A new ambition, or eager desire, jumped into Sally's heart.

"And is there no one who could teach me?" she asked.

"There may be many who could," answered the teacher, "but it hath always
been thought a hard matter to learn another language. Parson Kendall
hath wide knowledge in Latin, Greek, and some say in French, also. But,
knowing for one's self, and imparting or giving knowledge to another,
are two different things. It needeth a professor, or a teacher well
skilled in other tongues, to teach them properly."

Into Sally's mind leaped another thought.

"My Fairy Prince will learn these other tongues, why cannot I? I will! A
way there must be. I am poor, but I can learn."

Mistress Kent then promised Sally that another year, when she would be
fourteen, she should begin the study of Latin, if she kept on flying
ahead with her studies as she was doing. There was no danger that Sally
would forget the promise.

That night she set her wise head to planning and asking in what way she
could manage to take up the study of French. Her two spare afternoons
were still taken up with Dame Kent, the mother of her good teacher. The
evenings, all except Saturday, were given to lessons and the
singing-school. What time was there for anything else?

"Yet I will!" she said, over and again.

"That is right," said her inner Fairy. "Since the desire has come so
strongly upon you to know the French language, only persevere, and the
way to learn it will open."

It opened in so simple a manner as to again surprise brave Maid Sally.

And her ever-present Fairy said:

"It doth in truth astonish me, the ease of it all."

She was on her way home from Mistress Kent's when Parson Kendall came
toward her.

"Good evening, young maiden," he said, with gentle dignity, "and how do
the studies progress?"

"Very fairly, I thank you, sir."

"And what are they now?"

"I have arithmetic, sir, grammar, geography, and history."

"Quite a list; and are the studies still pleasant to thee?"

"Very, very pleasant, I thank you, sir. But, ah! if only I could learn
the French language!"

"Learn